Brad Blitz (Middlesex University) gives a talk for the Developing Data for Humanitarian Protection panel. This panel examines the use of alternative techniques of data collection for humanitarian protection.
Developing Data for Humanitarian Protection
This panel examines the use of alternative techniques of data collection for humanitarian protection. It considers how other providers have sought to gather data on vulnerable populations by including them in the Gallup World Poll, an annual global survey which is nationally representative and conducted across 160 countries. One fundamental problem complicating the task of effective humanitarian protection is absence of accurate data on the populations most affected. While the UNHCR and OCHA collect data on refugees, often their estimates provide a limited demographic profile of those most at risk. The quality of statistical information available on stateless people is even less developed. Yet, the importance of reliable data for effective humanitarian policy cannot be overstated. The UNHCR is a member of the UN Development Group and has endorsed the results-based management approach (RBM) to humanitarian assistance and development, which seeks to apply a measurable, results-based approach to the planning, implementation and assessment of the agency’s activities. The absence of accurate data reduces the chances that the UNCHR will be able measure the effectiveness of its work in this area. Further, since the RBM approach is used across the UN system, the absence of data similarly undermines the utility of this approach for other agencies working on related areas of humanitarian protection and development.